Relocation: Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN to St. Cloud, MN
Data updated · Sources: HUD FY 2027 Fair Market Rents, EPI 2026 Family Budget, 2026 tax tables · Methodology
Income tax, HUD Fair Market Rents and EPI living costs for a move from Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN to St. Cloud, MN.
Interactive Purchasing Power Equivalency Workbench
Adjust your current salary at origin to dynamically compute the statutory tax burden, housing costs, and discretionary cash in both markets.
Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN
St. Cloud, MN
Itemized Cost of Living Expenditure Arbitrage
Category-by-category breakdown of monthly baseline consumption between origin and destination.
| Expenditure Category | Chicago-Naperville-Elgin (Monthly) | St. Cloud (Monthly) | Monthly Delta ($) | Difference (%) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Housing (1BR Fair Market Rent) | $1,780 | $961 | -$819 | -46.0% |
| Food & Groceries | $385 | $358 | -$27 | -7.0% |
| Transportation | $947 | $1,115 | +$168 | +17.7% |
| Healthcare | $416 | $403 | -$13 | -3.1% |
| Other Necessities | $572 | $377 | -$195 | -34.1% |
| Total Taxes (Federal, State, Local, FICA) | $2,135 | $2,175 | +$40 | +1.9% |
HUD Fair Market Rent Differential
EPI Living Wage Benchmark Comparison
Top Local Occupations Wage Parity
BLS median wage comparisons across benchmark roles between both metropolitan labor markets.
| Occupation Title | Industry Sector | Chicago-Naperville-Elgin Median | St. Cloud Median | Nominal Wage Delta | Action |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| General and Operations ManagersFinance & Management | Finance & Management | $109,390 | $89,700 | -$19,690 (-18.0%) | View Dossier |
| Registered Nurse (RN)Healthcare | Healthcare | $100,490 | $105,290 | +$4,800 (+4.8%) | View Dossier |
| Accountant & AuditorFinance | Finance | $82,360 | $77,720 | -$4,640 (-5.6%) | View Dossier |
| Financial ManagerFinance | Finance | $168,810 | $135,760 | -$33,050 (-19.6%) | View Dossier |
| Software EngineerTechnology | Technology | $134,380 | $103,000 | -$31,380 (-23.4%) | View Dossier |
| Management AnalystBusiness Operations | Business Operations | $105,090 | $94,590 | -$10,500 (-10.0%) | View Dossier |
| Sales ManagersFinance & Management | Finance & Management | $158,690 | $124,290 | -$34,400 (-21.7%) | View Dossier |
| Computer and Information Systems ManagersFinance & Management | Finance & Management | $173,760 | $142,510 | -$31,250 (-18.0%) | View Dossier |
| Quality Control InspectorIndustrial Manufacturing | Industrial Manufacturing | $48,230 | $50,450 | +$2,220 (+4.6%) | View Dossier |
| Project Management SpecialistBusiness Operations | Business Operations | $105,320 | $96,390 | -$8,930 (-8.5%) | View Dossier |
| ElectricianSkilled Trades | Skilled Trades | $102,350 | $81,890 | -$20,460 (-20.0%) | View Dossier |
| Marketing ManagersFinance & Management | Finance & Management | $165,340 | $134,650 | -$30,690 (-18.6%) | View Dossier |
Major US Inter-Metro Relocation Corridors
Empirical cost differentials and statutory tax savings across high-volume migration routes.
On $100k: $8,301 less tax and $14,388 less 1BR rent a year
On $100k: $6,211 less tax and $17,676 less 1BR rent a year
On $100k: $4,805 less tax and $2,928 less 1BR rent a year
On $100k: $1,729 less tax and $19,884 less 1BR rent a year
On $100k: $4,113 less tax and $10,908 less 1BR rent a year
On $100k: $3,761 more tax and $4,188 less 1BR rent a year
On $100k: $1,299 less tax and $11,592 less 1BR rent a year
On $100k: $8,301 less tax and $7,296 less 1BR rent a year
Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN to St. Cloud, MN Relocation FAQs
About $79,100. That scales $100,000 by the ratio of the metros' cost-of-living indexes (125.8 in Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN, 99.5 in St. Cloud, MN, from EPI family budgets); taxes are compared separately below.
Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN to St. Cloud, MN: State Paychecks, Rents & Reciprocal Corridor
Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN to St. Cloud, MN: 2026 federal, state & local income tax, HUD Fair Market Rents & EPI living costs compared on the same salary.
Quick answers
About $79,100. That scales $100,000 by the ratio of the metros' cost-of-living indexes (125.8 in Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN, 99.5 in St. Cloud, MN, from EPI family budgets); taxes are compared separately below.
EPI's family budgets for a single adult put overall living costs 20.9% lower in St. Cloud, MN than in Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN. The budgets cover housing, food, transportation, health care and other necessities.